The present invention relates to explosive warheads and specifically to the means for making such warheads safer when exposed to thermal heating. This increased safety aspect is achieved without compromising the warhead's structural integrity.
When dealing with explosive ordnance it is important that precautions have been taken to assure that the ordnance is incapable of being accidentally exploded in high temperature environments.
Warhead cook-off is the response of the explosive warhead to excessive thermal environments such as a fire or abnormally high ambient temperatures. Cook-off is an undesirable reaction of the explosive which typically starts as a burning or deflagration process but can transition to a detonation process if the explosive remains confined. The detonation of a warhead under such circumstances can cause severe property damage and loss of life. Restricting cook-off reactions to merely burning of the warhead material will substantially improve the safety aspects of the warhead.
To avoid the deflagration to detonation transfer, in a warhead cook-off reaction, one can employ a method releasing the explosive material from the confines of the warhead case or housing. This method is known as venting the warhead. By providing a large vent area the severity of cook-off reaction can be mitigated.
Prior art technology utilized longitudinal stress riser grooves in the warhead case. These grooves would allow the case to rupture when exposed to a high thermal environment. This rupture of the warhead case would release the confinement of the explosive and provide a large vent area. The longitudinal stress riser grooves, however, weaken the structural integrity of the warhead case which degrades the overall warhead performance in specific operational environments.